Are you a longbowist?

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New member

So, we've had the racist, sexist and ageist threads, but are you a longbowist, or a traditionalistist (It think that would be the word). Do you usher beginners away from those of us who carry a bent stick and are constantly smiling?

I'll tell you what I think, all beginners courses should start with a bent stick and no sight and no rest, Teach the basics of archery and then explain all the different disciplines. Most of made our own bows as kids from a piece of bamboo and we didn't worry about sticking a clicker on it.

I am of course being deliberately provocative, but I seriously believe that if we offered more choice to novices, instead of sending them straight down the recurve route, we'd have much more vibrant archery clubs. We don't exist just to find new blood for national and international competition, we are here to promote archery in all its wonderful forms.

New member

I don't think it's unreasonable to show beginners other archery disciplines, but I think showing them the basics of archery through the recurve style is the best foundation for them to try others styles later.

Also most beginners courses I know of only last about 6-7 weeks so there isn't a great deal or time really to get them going on other disciplines. One club I used to shoot at did show them a compound and longbow during one lesson, so if they wanted to try them out they could.

Compound and longbow/traditional archery disciplines compared to recurve do share a common basis but there are different techniques to shooting them and do need to be taught properly.

Perhaps if clubs could do additional courses (approx 2-3 weeks) on other archery disciplines especially after the beginner has finished the beginners course and before they buy their first bow could be an option to get them to sample types of archery.

I like most other archers started on a recurve bow, which I still do, but I've progressed onto compound, longbow and recently a Hungarian Horsebow.

My archery collection/equipment looks like a small archery store.oulies:

New member

Well as I said, I was being provocative A good idea on a second course with different disciplines, but my point really is that the longbow and any traditional bow is ignored by many clubs, and yet when you talk to newcomers many have been influenced by the traditional bow. It would be interesting to compare numbers of archers back in Victorian times to now.

Member

At both of my clubs recurve is used to teach the basics. I find that if a beginner decides to take up archery after the course then they are not put off by starting with recurve. Any who express an interest in traditional or compound are shown the bow and paraphernalia by its enthusiastic owner after the lesson. All newbies are exposed to the different styles in the first few weeks after joining, along with the accompanying banter. Indeed, I have successfully turned 4 padawans to the dark side by letting them shoot my old ultra elite. I could have turned more but they tend to go pale when I tell how much it costs to get fully equiped with a compound.
This raises the issue of anglism. Everyone is encourage to shoot a vertical bow but horizontal? banned by club constitution.

New member

Well what about cantism? I used to cant quite a lot when I first started longbow, which caused consternation when shooting in a tight line indoors. In fact many a time I'd here someone next to me say "You can't cant next to me"

M

Moose

Guest

Well-known member

Canting is natural and sensible as it gives a clear view of what you are shooting at and stops the arrow falling off the back of your hand if you are a beginner. It can also help alleviate spine/paradox issues.
The only reason to keep a bow upright is if you have a sight bolted to it.
I'd love to see a recurve set up to be canted with the sights and stabilisers all set up at an angle, you can still have a spirit level to keep the angle of cant constant :stirthepo:
Of course the big problem would be when left handers and right handers were next to eachother on the line.
I had one guy trying one of my primitives with wide limbs, he complained he couldn't see the target... I told him to cant it.
Of course a modern target recurve has wide limbs, but also has a gigantic cut away riser so you can see what's going on and remove any paradox.
Del

New member

We tend to get beginners shooting barebow on the first two weeks of the course, then we stick a sight and stabiliser on for the third. If they like it they carry on with it, if they don't they go back to barebow and we teach them stringwalking if they're shooting alright. The first half of the fourth week is the assessment shooting either barebow or recurve, and then the second half we'll put balloons on the targets and have them all try proper barebows and recurves (instead of trainer bows) longbows, flatbows, horsebows, wooden hunting bows, compound barebow, and compound sighted off fingers and release aids. They usually leave wanting one of each We're fortunate though cause all of the bows they try belong to the coaches, and there's no way the club would be able to get all of those just to be shot once a month. We also tell people not to buy their own stuff until a couple of months after the beginners course, when they've either been drawn to the dark or light side, or to stay somewhere in the middle.

New member

Insanity that sounds a great way to teach beginners. I wonder which way I would have gone on a that kind of course. I know I was mesmerised by watching the bow fall away effortlessly as the recurvers shot at 100 yards or so, but no one was shooting longbows at that time and there wasn't a compound in sight. Our beginners are at least shown each of the disciplines during the course now and we have a growing mixture of styles. Id say "vive la diff?rence" and lets treat each with equal respect.

New member

My previous club offered very short courses as well as several week ones. I did a weekend course but we were only given about fifteen minutes shooting barebow recurve. The rest of the course comprised shooting with sights at further and further distances. I mentioned several times that I would like to shoot longbow several times but nobody really paid much attention just mentioning that some members had a longbow.

I went into the course knowing what I wanted and after using sights decided that wasn't what I wanted. Insanity rock's club sounds really good in being able to show and demonstrate different bow styles. I would personally start with a longbow to show the progression in bow technology and style.

New member

My previous club offered very short courses as well as several week ones. I did a weekend course but we were only given about fifteen minutes shooting barebow recurve. The rest of the course comprised shooting with sights at further and further distances. I mentioned several times that I would like to shoot longbow several times but nobody really paid much attention just mentioning that some members had a longbow.

I went into the course knowing what I wanted and after using sights decided that wasn't what I wanted. Insanity rock's club sounds really good in being able to show and demonstrate different bow styles. I would personally start with a longbow to show the progression in bow technology and style.

If you are adamant about longbow, find a member who has one and talk to him, or ask the coach to let a longbow archer know you are interested. Some clubs have little interest in encouraging longbow archery, but any longbow archer will talk the hind legs off a donkey.